Here are the updated Big Country boys basketball playoff pairings and results (through Feb. 25):
GAME REPORT: Wylie boys rally past Lubbock Monterey in fourth for first playoff win since 2018
SNYDER — The Wylie boys basketball team claimed its first playoff win as a Class 5A program on Tuesday, rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to knock off Lubbock Monterey 62-58 in a Region I-5A Division II bi-district matchup at Tiger Gym.
Trailing 32-29 at halftime and 47-45 after three quarters, the Bulldogs outscored the Plainsmen 17-11 over the final eight minutes to reach the area round for the first time since advancing to the Region I-4A championship game in 2018.
The Bulldogs, who at 15-13 ensured a winning season with the victory, will now take on El Paso Andress (23-9) at 4 p.m. Friday in Fort Stockton.
GAME STORY: Wall uses suffocating defense to get past perennial power Idalou (box score included)
SNYDER — It may not have been the prettiest brand of basketball ever displayed. But Tuesday’s 35-25 win by the Wall Lady Hawks over Idalou in a Region I-3A DII semifinal, was in its own way, noteworthy.
Using a crushing halfcourt defense which all but stymied the third-ranked Lady Cats, top-ranked Wall limited Idalou to six points or less in each of the first three quarters, all the while gradually building a nine-point lead to carry into the final period.
The cushion was more than enough for a Wall defense which had allowed a grand total of just five field goals through the first three quarters.
McKenzie Lopez had a game-high 19 points and Jewels Johnson added seven more to lead Wall (34-3), which advances to play Coahoma (34-1) for the regional title on Friday at 6 p.m. at Howard College. Karsyn Lutrick finished with 14 points for Idalou, which closed its season at 30-5.
“We preach defense every single day,” Wall coach Silas Crisler said. “And when the challenge is at its highest and at its biggest moment, our kids continue to show up over and over again.”
GAME STORY: Stephenville boys pull away from Frenship Memorial for first playoff win since 2018
ABILENE — It was a milestone kind of a night for the Stephenville boys basketball team Tuesday as the Yellow Jackets notched their 30th win of the season with their first playoff victory since 2018, knocking off Frenship Memorial 62-50 in a Region I-4A Division I bi-district matchup at Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum.
Trailing 9-2 less than three minutes into the game, the Jackets rallied to take their first lead since the game’s opening bucket on a Dillinger Thiebaud layup with 5:41 to play in the second quarter. And coach Drew McDorman’s team protected that advantage the rest of the way, stretching its 21-19 lead to 25-21 by halftime and 41-31 by the start of the fourth quarter.
Stephenville’s lead grew as wide as 15 points in the final period, eliminating any suspense as to whether or not the Jackets (30-4) would be advancing to the area round later this week.
GAME STORY: Maidens fall victim to Shallowater rally (box score included)
SNYDER — If one searches for a turning point in Tuesday’s Region I-3A DI semifinal between Comanche and Shallowater, it’s easy enough to spot.
With Comanche seemingly in control, leading 31-19 with 1:49 left in the second quarter, Shallowater closed the half on a 6-0 run to pull within six. From the moment that run started to the end of the game, the Fillies outscored Comanche 51-29 to walk away with a 70-60 win at the West Texas College Coliseum.
Linley Wright scored 23 points, Keelie Williams scored 17 and Carlie Buckley added 14 more to lift Shallowater (27-7), which advances to face Bushland for the regional title.
Comanche closed its season at 22-11, led by J’Lee Salinas with 16 points, Kaysi Wilcox and Emily Sierra with nine and Dakota Dudley with eight.
GAME STORY: Explosive second-half run propels Jayton girls to win over upset-minded Blackwell
HAMLIN — For two and a half quarters Tuesday night, offense was at a premium in the Region II-1A Division II girls semifinal between No. 14 Jayton and unranked Blackwell at Piper Gymnasium.
Both teams appeared to be trying to fit a basketball through the eye of a needle over that time period before shots finally started to fall for the Lady Jays, who pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 37-17 win, eliminating the Lady Hornets for the second consecutive year in the regional semifinals.
Jayton will face its biggest test of the season at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum, where the Lady Jays face top-ranked and undefeated Gordon in the first game of a playoff doubleheader including both schools. The boys game will feature the top two ranked teams in the state in a rematch of a game that was played in front of a standing room only crowd at Wylie’s Bulldog Gymnasium in 2025.
Big Country Preps Preseason Baseball Position Rankings: Catchers
After opening our baseball position rankings series with the pitchers on Monday, it’s time to shift our attention to their battery mates.
For the second installment in our five-part series, we celebrate the Big Country’s top catchers, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch in 2026.
We hope you enjoy our list.
GAME STORY: Brock outlasts Lubbock Estacado in top-25 OT thriller to open playoffs
Before their Region I-4A Division II bi-district matchup with Lubbock Estacado, Brock boys basketball coach Zach Boxell thought it was a matchup that was better suited in a region final as opposed to the opening round of the postseason.
Both squads made Boxell’s pregame thoughts look prophetic in a matchup of teams that finished the year ranked in the top 25.
Led by Eli Paez’s 24 points, No. 24 Brock outlasted No. 14 Lubbock Estacado 80-72 in overtime on Monday night at McMurry University’s Kimbrell Arena in a matchup between two squads that won their respective district championships but wound up facing off because of how the Division I/II splits played out in the respective districts.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco junior earns this week’s award
When Cisco junior guard Carter Toof is on his game, there is little one can do to stop him. He’s going to get his point, whether you like it or not.
That was the case last week when Toof helped Cisco to a win over Abilene TLCA with 43 points, 14 rebounds and three assists. He followed that with 20 points, seven boards, four assists and three steals in a playoff warmup loss to Benjamin.
Big Country Preps Preseason Baseball Position Rankings: Pitchers
After kicking off the spring sports season with our softball position rankings last week, it’s time to turn our attention to the the baseball field and the players you’ll be reading about throughout the 2026 campaign.
For the first installment in a five-part series that will cover all position groups on the area baseball scene, we’ll be taking a look at the Big Country’s best pitchers, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this fall.
We hope you enjoy reading through our list.
FEATURE: Eagles enter playoffs flying high with 17-game win streak
Photos contributed by Terry Thompson
Entering this season, the Goldthwaite boys’ basketball team had to replace all-state guard Luke Sanderson, a four-year starter who averaged 23 points per game last year. The Luke-led Eagles won 26 games and reached the state semifinals last season for the first time in school history.
This appeared to be a rebuilding season with a young roster that includes one senior, one junior, one freshman and five sophomores. But it really wasn’t a rebuilding season; 20th-year Goldthwaite coach Jeffrey Head has waited to coach this group since they were in junior high.
Goldthwaite (25-3) will enter the Class 2A Division II playoffs with a Region IV bidistrict matchup against Sabinal (14-11) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kerrville.
FEATURE: Yellow Jackets ahead of schedule, but lacking a postseason win
Coach Drew McDorman said the Stephenville boys’ basketball team is ahead of schedule in Year 3 of building a consistently successful program.
In Year 1 in 2023-24, the Yellow Jackets fielded a mostly freshman and sophomore team and finished 16-18. They made the playoffs but lost 66-32 in bidistrict to perennial Region I-4A power Lubbock Estacado.
In Year 2 in 2024-25, the Jackets improved to 23-10 and avoided Estacado. But they still lost in bidistrict 77-65 to a 14-16 San Angelo Lake View team that made seven 3-point shots and won its first playoff game in 26 years.
PHOTO GALLERY: Aiden Turner Memorial Baseball Tournament (190 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Hamlin-Eula girls basketball area round playoff (57 images)
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GAME STORY: Wall uses big second half to overcome Tolar
BAIRD — After watching his team suffer through an ice-cold start in Friday’s Region I-3A DII area round game against Tolar, Wall girls basketball coach Silas Crisler called a timeout at the 4:24 mark of the first quarter, trailing 11-2.
However, his message to his players was far less tactical than it was soothing, giving them a moment to collect themselves. It worked. In fact it worked so well, that by the end of the quarter the Lady Hawks had cut the gap to 12-9 and eventually won, 58-42 at the Baird High School Gym.
Jewels Johnson scored 22 points and hit two 3-pointers and Katherine Lewis added 11 more points with two 3s to lead top-ranked Wall (33-3), which now advances to face No. 3 Idalou in the regional semifinals.
GAME STORY: Eula’s depth powers Lady Pirates past depleted Hamlin in area round
ANSON — The third-ranked Eula girls basketball team had no problems continuing its postseason run with a 58-28 win over Hamlin on Friday in a Region II-1A Division I area-round game at Tiger Gymnasium.
All 12 players on Josh Fostel’s roster saw plenty of playing time in the win, including four call-ups from the junior varsity, while the Lady Pipers played most of the game without a bench after junior Najely Hernandez aggravated a knee injury that was suffered in Hamlin’s playoff opener in the first quarter.
The depth advantage allowed the Lady Pirates to pull away starting in the second quarter as Eula’s defensive pressure left Hamlin’s five remaining players visibly struggling.
Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Utility Players
After recognizing the top pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders that the Big Country softball scene has to offer, we close our position rankings series with a celebration of versatility.
For the final installment in our five-part series, we take a look at the top utility players, ranking our top-10 multi-position standouts to watch in 2026.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading through these lists and encourage you to come back next week when we’ll feature the top baseball players in the Big Country.
GAME STORY: Fast start, freshman Watts propel Santo girls to comfortable win over Haskell in area round
CLYDE — The Santo girls basketball team started fast and never let up Friday in cruising to a 49-34 win over Haskell in a Region II-2A Division II area-round matchup at Bulldog Gym.
Led by freshman guard Aubrey Watts, who scored seven of her game-high 20 points in the opening quarter, the Lady Cats grabbed a 14-2 lead by the start of the second period and never saw that advantage shrink below 11 points the rest of the way.
The thorough victory, which saw the gap grow as large as 23 points in the fourth quarter, improved coach Nick Hatten’s team to 22-12 and extended the Lady Cats’ best season in more than a decade into the region semifinals, where they’ll face off with the winner of Honey Grove (30-4) and 20th-ranked Simms Bowie (27-7) next week.
GAME STORY: Gordon uses aggressive defense to eliminate troublesome Aspermont
ABILENE — Call it a tale of two halves.
For 16 minutes — two full quarters, — 17th-ranked Aspermont went toe-to-toe with top-ranked, undefeated Gordon and trailed by two at the break. Then it happened: The game did a virtual about-face with Gordon stymying the Lady Hornets in the third quarter en route to a 53-37 win in a Region II-1A DII area round game at Hardin-Simmons University.
Grace Garnett scored a game-high 18 points with five 3-pointers to lead Gordon (32-0), which now advances to face either Robert Lee or Grandfalls-Royalty in the regional semifinals.
Aspermont (32-5) was led by Emilee Silva with 12 points. Maleah Hecht and Matti Polk had seven each.
GAME STORY: Comanche girls end their Jim Ned roadblock with 46-44 area win
BROWNWOOD — The fourth time proved to be the charm for the Comanche Maidens.
After being eliminated from the Class 3A girls’ basketball playoffs by Jim Ned the last three years, the Maidens fought off the Lady Indians 46-44 in Thursday night’s Class 3A Division I area game at the Brownwood Coliseum.
Comanche (22-10) advances to play the Shallowater-Denver City winner in next week’s regional semifinals. Jim Ned, which had to replace its entire starting lineup and coaching staff from last season, finished 19-14.
Senior J’Lee Salinas, who rallied Comanche from a brief 43-42 deficit with three free throws in the final 3:18, scored 18 points. Senior Kaysi Wilcox added 16 points for the Maidens.
Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Outfielders
After spending the first three days of our softball position rankings series in the dirt, we move the grass for Day 4.
For the penultimate installment of our five-part series, we take a look at the top outfielders in the Big Country, ranking our top 10 with others to watch in 2026.
We hope you enjoy our list.
FINAL Big Country Boys Basketball Statistical Leaders for 2026: Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks
Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country boys basketball through Feb. 19. With the end of the regular season, this will be the FINAL boys basketball leaders we post this year.
This database has been continually updated for our subscribers throughout the regular season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.
Is your favorite team missing? If so, please pass along a friendly reminder to your coach to check his email for our weekly stats request. We’ll be happy to add them to our database after they arrive.
Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Infielders
After highlighting the top pitchers and catchers on the Big Country softball scene the past two nights, it’s time to turn our spotlight to the field.
For the third installment in our five-part position rankings series, we list our top-10 infielders in the area for the 2026 season.
We hope you enjoy reading through our rankings.
PHOTO GALLERY: Roscoe-Sterling City girls basketball playoff (35 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Baird-Hermleigh girls basketball playoff (32 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Brock-Levelland girls basketball (65 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Wylie-Wichita Falls Legacy boys basketball (63 images)
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GAME STORY: Abilene High boys rally past Cooper on Senior Night to take winning streak into playoffs
The Abilene High boys basketball team began and ended its Senior Night in celebratory fashion Tuesday at Eagle Gym, overcoming a sluggish start and a spirited Cooper squad in between to earn a 60-44 win over its crosstown rival in its regular-season finale.
The Eagles, who had already locked up their first district championship since 2016, found themselves trailing for most of the first three quarters Tuesday. But a 29-8 run over the game’s final 11 minutes turned a potentially tenuous situation into a comfortable win, allowing coach Justin Reese to close the game with several senior reserves on the court.
The victory improved AHS to 20-11 on the season and closed out a 7-1 run through District 4-5A, making winners out of seniors Brooks Reese, Trae Shaw, Myles Osborne, Payton Shawver, Luke Jackson, Jeremiah Collins, Brenner Paul and Dylan Bardin in their final game on their home floor.
GAME STORY: Montelongo, role players play pivotal roles as Wylie ends regular season with win over Legacy
As the final seconds ticked off the clock in Tuesday night’s District 4-5A boys basketball regular-season finale between Wylie and Wichita Falls Legacy, a chant broke out among the Wylie student body reminiscent of one from the movie “Rudy.”
Only this time, it was “Mon-te! Mon-te! Mon-te!”
The chants were for Wylie senior Noah Montelongo, who rarely gets into games but is one of the biggest supporters of his teammates. One of three fourth-year players being honored on Senior Night, he had the ball in his hands to dribble out the clock in the Bulldogs’ 57-35 win.
GAME STORY: Sterling City attacks the glass to overcome Roscoe
COLORADO CITY — For the better part of three quarters, the Roscoe girls were able to use their quickness to maintain a slim lead over Sterling City in Tuesday’s Region I-2A DI bi-district game at Colorado City High School.
There was just one problem: The much-larger Lady Eagles were continually pounding the offensive glass and gradually erased a nine-point second-half deficit to come away with a 51-46 win.
Avery Clark scored 16 points, Charley Jo Wilson had 14 points and nine boards and Christina Geary had 13 points and nine boards to lead Sterling City (23-9), which trailed 31-22 with 4:15 left in the third quarter.
The Lady Eagles now advance to face Smyer in the area round.
Roscoe finished its season at 21-11, led by Ava Burrell with 19 points and Chasity Rangel with 12.
Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Catchers
After kicking off our softball position rankings series on Monday with the pitchers, we now shift our attention to their battery mates.
For the second installment in our five-part series, we rank the area’s top 10 catchers with others to watch for in 2026.
We hope you enjoy our list.
GAME STORY: Region IV-2A bullies flex muscles as farewell tour begins
Goldthwaite photos contributed by Terry Thompson
COMFORT – The three bullies of Class 2A Region IV girls’ basketball – the San Saba Lady Dillos, Goldthwaite Lady Eagles and Mason Cowgirls – began their farewell tour in typical dominating fashion in bidistrict games Monday night.
San Saba beat Charlotte 70-19, and Goldthwaite beat La Pryor 77-29 at Comfort. Over at Junction, No. 2-ranked Mason beat Brackettville 88-16.
The three bullies – all members of District 29-2A – have combined to win six of the last nine Region IV-2A championships, including a sweep last year in the first season of Division I and Division II playoff brackets. San Saba won the Region IV-2A Division I championship last year while Goldthwaite edged Mason in overtime for the Region IV-2A Division II title.
In 2024, Goldthwaite beat San Saba in the regional championship game.
GAME STORY: No. 3 Eula girls use big second quarter to down Westbrook for second straight year
MERKEL — In a game that saw a number of extended runs both ways, the No. 3 Eula girls basketball team had the biggest and most pivotal one Monday at Badger Gym, using a 20-5 surge through the second quarter to nab the lead for good in a 52-38 bi-district win over Westbrook.
The Lady Cats had a 13-0 run in the first quarter and an 8-0 spurt spanning the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. But coach Jeff Bontrager’s team never got closer to the lead than nine points after halftime thanks to the Lady Pirates’ big second period.
The win, which saw Eula stretch a 15-point halftime lead to a game-high 19 points with just under three minutes remaining in the third quarter, advanced the Lady Pirates (34-2) to the area round of the Region II-1A Division I playoffs, where they’ll take on Hamlin (15-18) later this week.
GAME STORY: No. 4 Hermleigh girls run away from Baird for 34-point bi-district win
MERKEL — The fourth-ranked Hermleigh girls basketball team kicked off its playoff run in dominant fashion Monday, cruising past Baird 73-39 in a Region II-1A Division I bi-district game at Merkel High School.
The Lady Cardinals outscored the Lady Bears 26-12 in the opening quarter and spent the next three periods adding to that advantage to earn an area-round matchup with the winner of Tuesday’s bi-district game between Munday and Rotan.
Hermeigh, which had four players reach double figures scoring in the victory, knocked down nine 3-pointers as a team in improving to 32-2 on the year.
GAME STORY: Hot offense leads Brock to bi-district win over Levelland
BAIRD — The third-ranked Brock girls basketball team scored the first seven points of the game and never looked back to open the postseason with a 64-35 win over Levelland in a Region I-4A Division II bi-district game Monday night at Baird High School.
Led by Laney Hudson with a game-high 17 points, the Lady Eagles saw 10 players score in the game and hit nine 3-pointers to advance to play Krum (20-16) at 6 p.m. Thursday at Saginaw High School.
Brock coach Alex Stephenson was happy with what he saw in what he called a “total team effort” as the Lady Eagles picked up their 12th straight victory and 15th win this season by at least 23 points.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde freshman captures this week’s award
Aside from being a traditional area area power in softball, the Clyde Lady Bulldogs are known for getting off to fast starts every spring and quickly establishing the fact that they’re a team to be reckoned with.
But this year, with freshman pitcher Brynli Reynolds making a major splash, Clyde is not only good, it’s scary good.
At this point, the Lady Bulldogs are 3-0, with wins over good teams from Hawley (8-1), Littlefield (10-0) and most recently, over three-time defending 3A state champion Coahoma (7-0).
Reynolds, who has taken our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, tossed a no-hitter in the Hawley win. And in 21 innings of work last week, she allowed only one earned run on seven hits with — get this — 51 strikeouts. Yes, you read that correctly.
Big Country Preps Preseason Softball Position Rankings: Pitchers
With the softball season kicking off last week, it’s time to take a look at the players who will be making the biggest impact throughout the Big Country Preps coverage area in 2026.
For the first installment in a five-part series that will cover all position groups on the area softball scene, we’ll be taking a look at the Big Country’s top pitchers, ranking our top 10 with a list of others to watch this spring.
We hope you enjoy reading through our list.
PHOTO GALLERY: Wylie-Cooper boys basketball (52 images)
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FEATURE: France’s Le Borgne making big difference in Ballinger
Ballinger coach Nathan Riggan spent the summer worrying about who was going to replace three-year starter Matilda Galvan at point guard.
The answer came about a week before school started when he got called down to the front office to meet Ballinger’s new student.
Ysée Le Borgne was a 6-foot-1 foreign exchange sophomore from France. Not only had she played basketball since she was 3 years old, but both her parents played and coached at a high professional level.
“Once she came out on the court that first day and I saw her handling the ball, I said, ‘There’s my point guard,’” Riggan said. “She’s everything for us. She’s our best defender, shooter, she can shoot from outside and she averages 3.4 blocks per game. She’s everything you’d want in a basketball player.”
FEATURE: Coahoma’s Bulldogettes hungry, poised for another playoff run
Photos contributed by Lyndel Moody of Coahoma ISD
The Coahoma girls’ basketball team lost just one senior from last year’s 26-5 team that reached the Class 3A Division II regional semifinals.
With a returning cast that includes veterans Madi Renteria, Bree Lewis and Blakely Rodgers – plus the addition of impressive newcomer Addison Schmidt – the Bulldogettes finished the 2025-26 regular season 31-1 and appear poised for another deep postseason run.
“We’re still hungry, and we’re definitely looking forward to the playoffs,” second-year head coach Alyssa Peterson said Friday.
Coahoma, ranked No. 2 in Class 3A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches poll, opens the playoffs against Tornillo at 5 p.m. Monday at Monahans. The winner will advance to face the Slaton-Canadian winner in the second round later in the week. Coahoma blanket Tornillo in last year’s bi-district game 78-0 – and that’s not a typo.
The Bulldogettes enter the playoffs having won 27 consecutive games since their only loss – 57-26 to Cisco on Dec. 2. That includes tournament championships at Lubbock Roosevelt, Garden City and Jayton.
The win streak also includes a second consecutive 12-0 run through the District 3-3A schedule.
PHOTO GALLERY: Jayton-Roscoe boys basketball (35 images)
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GAME STORY: Wylie holds off Cooper rally to clinch playoff spot, end Cougars’ postseason push
Trailing Cooper by a point in the final minute on Friday, the Wylie boys basketball team closed the game on a 5-0 run to grind out a crucial 51-47 victory at Cougar Gym.
It was the second consecutive road win for the Bulldogs in which they faced a deficit in the closing minutes, clinching a playoff spot for coach Gregg Ruffin’s team while eliminating the Cougars from postseason contention.
Wylie led 33-22 at halftime only to see Cooper snag the momentum — and, eventually, the lead on Jabari Collier-Gard’s 3-pointer with 1:30 to play. But a 5-of-6 tally from the free-throw line and a couple of key stops in the final 43 seconds were enough to earn the Bulldogs the hard-fought victory over their crosstown rival.
GAME STORY: Brock inches closer to District 6-4A boys title
STEPHENVILLE — The Brock Eagles finished Friday’s key District 6-4A boys’ basketball game with a 15-3 run — erasing a six-point deficit, forcing overtime and eventually overcoming the Stephenville Yellow Jackets 58-52 at Gandy Gym.
The win improved Brock’s record to 23-9 overall and 8-1 in District 6-4A. The Eagles will secure the district championship and No. 1 seed for the Class 4A Division II playoffs with a win Tuesday over Mineral Wells, which hasn’t won a district game.
“It’s been a battle,” Brock coach Zach Boxell said of the 6-4A race. His Eagles lost 74-59 to Glen Rose and trailed the Tigers halfway through the district schedule.
“We knew coming in here to Stephenville tonight with a big crowd that it was going to be hard to get a win. Being in a tough district should help prepare us for the playoffs,” Boxell said.
Stephenville lost at home for the first time in 13 games in Gandy Gym this season. Despite Friday’s loss, the Jackets (28-4, 6-3) still secured a Class 4A DI No. 1 seed because Graham (4-5) lost against Glen Rose.
“Our crowd was awesome. I wish we could have gotten a win for them,” said Stephenville coach Drew McDorman, whose Jackets began this week with a 63-37 home win over Glen Rose. “I told the kids that, when you beat good teams, people will show up to see you play.”
GAME STORY: New play helps Sweetwater clinch playoff berth with road win over Merkel
MERKEL — Sweetwater boys basketball coach Dillon Gainey said he and his staff were sitting in the coaches office on Friday morning trying to draw up a way to steal points off the opening tip for their District 6-3A road game at Merkel.
It’s safe to say that the play they came up with worked better than anyone could have imagined.
Sweetwater’s Amare Arevalo didn’t even make an attempt to win the opening tip, letting Rayson Houston go uncontested for it, but Houston’s tap went directly to a Mustang and turned into a layup just three seconds into the game as the Mustangs led wire-to-wire in a 57-34 decision over the Badgers.
GAME STORY: Jayton overcomes determined Roscoe team, noisy crowd to get tough nondistrict road win
ROSCOE — With two-time defending Class 1A state champion Jayton coming to town to face 18th-ranked 2A Roscoe, Friday’s non-district boys game was bound to create a special atmosphere.
And it did just that, as the Jaybirds slipped past the Plowboys 58-54 in front of a raucous crowd at the Roscoe Collegiate Special Events Center.
Colt Gentry scored 21 points, Bode Ham had 13 and Sean Stanaland added 12 more to lead the top-ranked Jaybirds (18-3), who never trailed and maintained a shaky lead from the 4:33 mark of the first quarter until the final horn.
Roscoe (31-2), which remained within striking distance throughout the game, was led by Jarrell Best with 22 points and Aiden Brown with 18.
Both clubs walked away from the matchup feeling as though they had benefitted from it — especially with postseason play set to start on Feb. 23.